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Friday At 2:46PM

Last Friday as I sat in my apartment watching Ghost Busters an earthquake started at first it seemed like any other for about 30 seconds. Suddenly that all changed as the power of the quake increased about 100 times. Because so many of my neighbors are retried I went downstairs to check on them as my feet touched the ground it was like having instant vertigo. Its amazing just how difficult it is to keep ones balance when there is no point of reference tell which way the ground was moving.

People here are used to earthquakes so it was very strange too see them fleeing their homes and apartment blocks.

As Japan is quite well prepared for these kinds of events all trains ceased operation, all students were evacuated from their schools as well all other public buildings. After making sure my neighbors were OK I rode my bike around the area while there was some damage it was nothing like that which took place in the worst effected areas.

For the last 3 days deliveries to shoppes have been very limited with all most all the shelves completely empty. Hopefully that will change soon.

The Tsunami didn't effect us and so far we are not effected by the problems in Fukushima. At least not yet as far as the radiation is concerned. Where we are effected is that TEPCO has announced rolling blackouts in the Kanto region the first of which occurred this evening staring at 5pm.

My description of what happened doesn't even do it justice. It might impossible to do just that. One of the places I visited on Friday was the local elementary school all of them were in the school yard and the shocked look on their faces was unsettling so I stayed for a while to help comfort them.

Comments

Thank you for checking in. Several folks have been asking about you and hoping that you fared well.

Were you unaffected by the tsunami?

Are you near an area affected by the nuclear issues?

...I'm not trying to invade your privacy, I'm just hoping that you're ok and safe. The news on this continent has been very disjointed and incomplete, but the images of destruction and reports of the high loss of life are quite upsetting.

I lived in quake country for awhile and I think back to what that statement must mean. You do get used to earthquakes as a part of life so it's really odd to think of the unusual event suddenly being unusual. But I get it!

I remember that 30 seconds was a long time and, in fact, the full extent typically required to move the Earth the inches necessary to dissipate the energy accumulated since the previous balance had been struck.

What you describe seems to be the very different nature of what they're calling unprecedented, WOW! Thirty seconds of relieving the tectonic tension and THEN the real relief occurs, holy cow!

-----"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations which dare already to challenge our government in a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country." - Thomas Jefferson

I am glad to see that you are doing OK, all things considered. I know that feeling of trying to walk when the earth is shaking. I have never been in any "major quakes" but I do remember nearly tripping and sending a tray of food flying when there were tremors while I was working at a restaurant. Felt like I had missed seeing a step as the floor one foot was on went up and when I went to step down the other foot was looking for something that seemed 7 or 8 inches out of place.